Fixed Show Online Status Option Has Disappeared

And then when I went to my preferences to change something and saved, it automatically unchecked the show online status box even though it's not visible which I can't reverse.

It appears in a few areas, but to make things simple, we'll use the Preferences section:



It should be directly below the signatures option:

 

I disabled it, its not an option anymore.

 

Okay, but making a change in your preferences--for example, your time zone--and then saving your changes will automatically set you as invisible which I don't think was a desired result, and there's no way to reverse it. It's thinking you unchecked the box even though it's not visible. I'm invisible right now to non-staff, for example, and I can't set myself visible again because that option is hidden.

I see that the current activity box is still there, though, and that works in conjunction with the online status option.

 

Sounds to me like you screwed up lol

 

How is he the one who screwed up when he had nothing to do with a harmless option being removed?

 

Pretty sure he was joking. :)

 

That's my way of segueing into the "well why was this feature removed" point, but many thanks for being my springboard regardless of that.

On that note: why was the feature removed?

 

Ha.

In any case, it's back now.

 

The feature was never removed, it was temporarily disabled for research purposes on hiding the option to guests so that they can view the forum as fuller rather than see everyone invisible.. Secondly, it was back up later that hour if you haven't already noticed ( assuming from your post you didn't ).

I'm contemplating if I should remove it due to there being no point in being "invisible" or if I should just remove the members online now and keep the latest visitors so that way the option to be invisible can be available without being effective on the latest visitor addon. I noticed over 60% of the members are invisible and I can't seem to know why, maybe so other members can't message them if they don't see them available?

Either way removing members online now will resolve this issue and keep them "invisible".

 

I (personally) would vote to keep the option available. While you may not see the point in the option being there, many users have different reasons for potentially using it. In the past (especially when the site was busy) I used it to prevent an onslaught of messages, simply because I didn't have to time to rely to everyone. So to prevent being rude to various people, I simply didn't appear at all.

Just like how skype, other messaging services, and some game platforms utilize this feature.

Spoiler: potential rambling

Also unless you have hard statistics (and even that can be unreliable) of long term "invisible vs not invisible" you simply cannot know if that would have anything to do with someone joining or not.

I remember the only reason I joined many years ago (this isn't my original account, but it's also not an alt) I joined because I wanted to post requests for codes. I can't do that as a guest, so I joined. In fact a majority of the people who joined through the code vault also had that reasoning. As you can see that has nothing to do with "seeing a more active community" via the "who is online section." That may seem like a drop in the bucket, but as one of the more active sections (when the site was busier) it's something to consider.

 

Many people don't want others to see what they're doing on the forums. I think there's a setting now to remain visible but hide your current activity but I think that was added in a recent version of XenForo. Many of the invisible members have been that way since we were on vBulletin.

Also you wouldn't stay "invisible" with what you're proposing because the online status indicator would still be there.

 

Yup! Added in XenForo 1.4: https://xenforo.com/community/threads/welcome-to-xenforo-1-4-more-assorted-improvements.79604/

 

Well there is a difference there is "show your activity" and then "show online status" looking at some of the privacy profiles almost everyone has both disabled. I haven't seen one profile that just hides the activity, its usually both from what I've seen.

 

Unchecking "Show your online status" will automatically uncheck "Show your current activity" since it deals with the overall visibility or invisibility of a user.

 

Because, like I said, it was just one option until recently (show online status). When we updated to 1.4, if a user had hidden their online status, both options were automatically checked.

 

I just tried it and it only unchecked the "show your online status" not sure what you're getting at with that.

Not sure I understand I just created a test user and tried it and it only unchecked the "show online status" but left the other one checked. I also just tried it under my admin account as well.

 

Oops. My bad. Yeah.

It won't uncheck it, but it will disable the "Show your current activity" radio box. You can see it gray out.

 

I had to adjust my brightness to see that it grayed the bottom check, so I guess the resolution would be to just hide the show online status while giving the user permission to leave the current activity on or off based off their choice. I still think I just might remove members online now to kill two birds with one stone.

 

I think that would go back to the original problem that I mentioned in my second post, though. Any time we were to make a change to our preferences or privacy, we would automatically be set as invisible with no way to remedy it for those who are normally visible.

Edit: As for Members Online Now, I like it because it gives you a quick and an accurate idea of who's online now within a 15-minute window--since they're removed from the list after that--without having to go through your follow list and look at profiles to see who's online. It's incredibly useful, too, if you need to contact someone, and you'd rather do it when they're online for a potential swift response, quickly knowing who's online makes it an overall better experience.

 

Couldn't agree more.